BAA, the world’s leading airport company, today announced senior management succession, which will take place over the coming year following the planned retirement of two BAA directors.
Janis Kong, Executive Chairman of Heathrow Airport, is to retire from the company on 1 March 2006 and Mike Toms, Director of Planning and Regulatory Affairs, has indicated his intention to leave the Group in autumn 2006.

Mrs Kong’s successor will be Mick Temple, currently Managing Director of Heathrow Airport. As Divisional Director of Heathrow, Mr Temple will take responsibility for Heathrow Airport and Heathrow Express. 

On 1 March 2006 he will join the BAA Executive Committee and be appointed to the BAA plc Board. ÊHe will also take on other aspects of Janis Kong’s role, including chairmanship of BAA’s Corporate Responsibility Board.

Mr Temple’s successor as Managing Director of Heathrow is Tony Douglas, currently Managing Director of Terminal 5, which is due to open in March 2008. ÊMr Douglas will retain his responsibilities for the construction of T5, which is now 66 per cent complete, on budget and ahead of schedule. Ê He will lead the work to integrate T5 into the Heathrow operation, alongside executing an ambitious makeover of Heathrow’s older terminals. ÊTony Douglas is already a member of the BAA Executive Committee.

Janis Kong’s responsibility for BAA’s relationships with airlines will be taken over by Duncan Garrood, BAA’s Divisional Director responsible for Gatwick, Stansted, international operations and marketing.

Mike Toms’s responsibilities are to be divided. ÊHis planning role will be taken over in stages by Donal Dowds, currently Divisional Managing Director of BAA Scotland. Mr Dowds will take charge of airport planning from 1 January 2006 and later in the year will also assume responsibility for the Stansted G2 second runway project.

From January, Mr Dowds will be based in London, but will Êretain his Executive Committee responsibilities for Scotland, supporting a Scottish team led by Stephen Baxter, currently Managing Director of Glasgow Airport. Mr Baxter takes on the new role of Managing Director, BAA Scotland, with overall responsibility for Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports. Mr Dowds will retain his position as Chairman of BAA USA.

In the next year, ÊMike Toms will focus on leading BAA’s conduct of the price review currently being conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority and which is due to conclude in 2008. A search has already commenced to identify the right individual to lead BAA’s regulatory team following Mr Toms’s retirement, with a view to ensuring a smooth transfer of responsibilities in the course of 2006.

Mike Clasper, BAA’s Chief Executive, said: “Janis and Mike have both delivered outstanding service to BAA and its shareholders. Between them, they have worked for the company for Êalmost 60 years and we owe them a great debt. The appointments of Mick, Tony, Donal and Stephen indicate the depth of management quality within the company and I am confident that they will help lead the business to new heights.”
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